Modern industrial control and monitoring systems make use of a blend of a number of different systems. These systems may include a variety of sensors (pressure, temperature, vibration), actuators, controllers, cameras, etc. To integrate the systems, layers of communication, data, and control protocols have been developed. One example that has been used in some applications is the Purdue model, which defines several different network levels for a system, with each level having a different format and type of communication, and further with varying levels of abstraction.
To facilitate such systems, a typical approach has been to provide a separate controller or control module for each different subsystem at the lowest network level. Each controller communicates with one or more sensors or control devices that operate to monitor or control an industrial system. This set of controllers may be connected to an Ethernet or other collective communication network allowing for controller input/output and sensor data to be communicated thereon. Above this base network is a hardwired network control system or supervisory control, which may also include a distributed control system.
By separating the distributed control system from the sensing and control network by a firewall/switch, the security of the plant may be ensured. Yet another network, sometimes termed a business-level local area network, is coupled to the distributed control system at yet a higher level. As the networks go to higher levels, the computation and analysis, particularly using advanced and/or third party applications, becomes more complex and abstract. However, reliability and security may be reduced at the higher levels.
A challenge in this environment is to provide efficient methods, systems and devices that allow for expansion and updating of older systems.